Nine young entrepreneurs from West Cumbria were celebrated at a recent event in Whitehaven for their successes in starting their own businesses. The entrepreneurs, aged between 15 and 25, were part of the Positive Enterprise programme, a joint initiative from Cumbria Community Foundation and the Centre for Leadership Performance (CforLP) aimed at helping young people enter the world of business.
At the beginning of this year, each of the nine participants received a £1,000 grant and were paired with an experienced businessperson for mentoring. They also had access to skills and leadership development opportunities provided by CforLP. The celebration event, held at Whitehaven Civic Hall, gave the young entrepreneurs a chance to showcase their businesses and share their experiences, including the challenges they faced along the way.
Chloe Pennington, 16, from Whitehaven, was awarded an additional £1,000 by judges for her business, Chloe’s Chateau, which creates and sells original art and gifts featuring colorful, hand-drawn artwork of scenes from West Cumbria and beyond. Pennington expressed her gratitude for being part of the programme, stating, “Being on the programme with so many brilliant young participants, that have now become friends, is a privilege that I am so very grateful for and one that any young person would benefit hugely from.”
The judges also recognized 17-year-old Jackson Slack from Silloth as the highly commended runner-up for his business, Football Fluidity, which offers affordable 1-2-1 football coaching. Slack credits the Positive Enterprise grant as the catalyst for his business, stating, “I wouldn’t have been able to afford everything I needed without it. Equipment, insurance, first aid kit, goals – everything adds up.”
David Beeby, Chair of Cumbria Community Foundation, commended all the participants for their efforts and entrepreneurial spirit. He encouraged them to listen to the advice of their mentors and make their own decisions for their businesses. Guest speakers Glenn Anderson, of Proud and Diverse Cumbria, and James Batchelor, of Alertacall, also spoke at the event.
The businesses created by the young entrepreneurs ranged from animal accessories and sweets to self-care packages for people undergoing chemotherapy. Several of the entrepreneurs cited sustainability as a key driver for their businesses, including 21-year-old Scott Sharpe, who sells vintage clothing and upcycled items through his business, White Horse Vintage. Sharpe was inspired by his love for retro clothing and a desire to reduce fast fashion.
The Positive Enterprise programme, funded by Cumbria-based property developer Brian Scowcroft, with match funding from Sellafield Ltd as part of its Transforming West Cumbria programme, Nuclear Waste Services, Well Whitehaven, Morgan Sindall, and Kaefer, is now in its second year. The three-year programme, delivered by the Centre for Leadership Performance, aims to develop employability and entrepreneurial skills in young people. Rhianna Smith, Early Careers Project Lead at CforLP, expressed her admiration for the creativity and self-motivation of the young entrepreneurs, stating, “With the invaluable support from their mentors and our practical workshops and programme of support, they’ve developed key employability and entrepreneurial skills such as negotiation, time management, and business knowledge.”
Annalee Holliday, Head of Grants Practice & Programmes at Cumbria Community Foundation, thanked the donors for their support and looked forward to recruiting the next group of young entrepreneurs in the autumn. For more information on the Positive Enterprise programme, visit www.cumbriafoundation.org/transforming-west-cumbria/positive-enterprise/. The event was distributed by pressat.co.uk.
